Ah, the classic we have a better barn door now that the horse has escaped. Security is always something we wish we had more of when something happens during those times where we think we didn’t need it.
In addition to the cameras that DMS has, how about some TV monitors in public places that display all the camera feeds, just to remind everyone to behave excellently.
My thought is no one noticed problems until it was much too late. I suspect It could happen again.A short list of equipment would suffice.to assist track the chaotic dance of equipment a healthy Makerspace enjoys. Frankly I am astounded petty theft is not more of an issue,Who would notice one cheap DVM amongst so many? Speaks well of our associates. in the long run. As for security. People who care is the only real security.My Dad always taught me locks are for honest men.
Does every thing have a set place it is supposed to be kept at?. I will be continuing the thought of an audit, If the items have a home the is in clear view of the cameras this would simplify things a little.Something else, indelible labeling and tracking numbers, This is my meteorology background talking. ID numbers on equipment allow us to keep notes on said equipment As a machine maintenance type I found it useful to keep notes on equipment, even more so for calibrations and tracking trends of drifts.
Short answer: No. Even if we did, good luck getting members to put stuff back. Equipment gets moved around.
Most of the gear have serial numbers - listed on the tool wiki. Tools and some gear get marked w/ yellow - the committee color. Bottom line is Thieves don’t care.
I currently don’t see a need to do this. Calibration is checked once a year courtesy of a couple of members (Thanks!). I don’t think any member has ever requested NIST traceable calibration on any of the gear.
This thread has gone way off topic…
Ids are used for more When the calibration of equipment is performed you record the equipment used to check hat calibration. This isn’t just about thieves. It is a way of defining exactly what equipment you are talking about, much like The VIN on a car,We don’t have the resources to do proper meteorology procedure checking whether a piece o equipment meets specs an tolerances it is a good idea to identify which equipment was used and how,Do the DVMs in the standing toolbox have Serial numbers? I am of the impression they don’t. Lord knows I have been wrong before
One of the big pointsI’ve made we need to periodically see if the stuff is in the building Yes It will not stop theives but it will raise a flag while there is video footag of the incident. If you wish me to start new theads I will do so. I promised in my thread. Ihave had a stroke I will be a pest Since I cannot help in person I will do what I can, Which is admittedly not much.
Take a look at the tool wiki.
Options that looked cool to me:
The science committee recently received a large donation of microscopes one of those might work for y’all.
This comes highly recommended by several of our members. It’s also more expensive. I’d like to hear the pro & cons of each from those who have used both types.
Well yeah, whats not to like? Maybe it can be fixed to the table and less ambulatory with regards to leg growth.
But it always scares me to see the phrase ‘request pricing’ on an engineering firm’s website.
I do like the Andonstars on paper. I saw one for $40 delivered brand new from China on ebay. They have a light integrated, HD video, the stand has a knob to raise/lower, and the best part: Its not in the way of your soldering because of its small form factor pencil camera (or marksalot…lol). Now this is not based on using one, but just thinking about it, seems it could be just the thing to possibly even eliminate the need for stereo scope? At $40, might be worth a shot?
If
if am stiring please tell me to get lost. Doesn’t the original owner of thw scope have a say in this?
The original owner has never come forward. My guess is they are no longer a member.
Not bad for ~$450. Some folks would like to see 2x on the low end. 90x on the high end is way more than needed. Also some have recommended getting one w/ camera. Did some digging on the Amscope site and found this:
The Vision Engineering Mantis Elite is more expensive. Some one has said a base price for a new unit runs ~$3000.00. Don’t know how accurate that is or what’s included. I have seen units listed on Ebay for $1k - $2k. I have contact info for the District Manager if we want more details.
Again, I’d like to hear from those who have used both types. Pros, cons, preferences, etc.
I used the Mantis for close to two years doing smd repairs and I was satisfied with it. I liked the single viewing device as opposed to the binocular type, head position was much less critical. I would spend hours at a time, searching for solder whiskers and such, and it wasn’t difficult to do.
Pick one and just buy it…
Just a note that this is very similar to the model that did walk off since it wasn’t chained down.
People will walk off with just about anything, much like the HAAKO soldering iron that seems to have relocated to VECTOR from what I have been told by @engpin and @artg_dms
Which I am having a conversation with the person who did not put it back tonight
And shouldn’t have removed it from the lab/bench. There are two less expensive HAAKO stations on the shelf for people who need a soldering iron outside the lab. I also believe Art gave VECTOR one of the old METCAL stations.
But it does illustrate ONE of the ways that things just walk off.
I would not complain one bit should DMS electronics pony up for a $200-600 scope solution. I know everyone would be happy to have such a thing.
Its just that I also think that the $40 andonstar is also a nice addition to consider. Am I the only one who thinks that sticking toes in $40 waters first is worth a try? This might actually reduce the need for pricey scope, possibly even eliminate it. Either way, I think I want one for the home.
Meanwhile, here is a picture of what I will call microscope utopia. It is a dreamy place, not all that far from where we all tinker with electronics…
